Since Many Days I was thinking about.. how much True and how much Valid is this Maham Anga's Character is. So I tried studying some of the legends and histories regarding her.
Well though I am not a history lover but had some curiosity knowing it . So Just was googling something and also downloaded some E. Books 😳 and PDF's .. and thought to post here.
So Here it goes.
Maham Anga was the wetnurse and foster mother of Emperor Akbar of the Mughal empire. Loved and respected by her charge, Anga became a political advisor and ultimately acted as regent for the teenage emperor for a brief time before her death.
Bairam Khan was the regent when Akbar first ascended to the throne at thirteen, but his rule was much critiqued. One of his most prominent detractors, Anga, with the help of her son and Akbar's foster brother, Adham, convinced Akbar to send Khan to Mecca to perform the Hajj. Maham's son, Adham, was sent to escort the general from the empire. Not satisfied, Maham urged Akbar to execute Khan, but the act was taken on by a vengeful Afghan.
With her main political rival, Khan, removed, Anga saw an opportunity to increase her power and assumed Khan's role. Known as the "Petticoat Regency," it is said that in this time "the foster mother cohort" tried to manipulate Akbar as a puppet king.
Her son Adham, was found hoarding booty, and although he apologized and returned the goods, he kept two of his favorite women back. When discovery by Akbar seemed imminent, she had the two women killed lest they reveal the deceit.
Anga died shortly after her son's violent execution, mete out by the emperor, for murdering Akbar's favorite general. Some accounts say the Akbar himself threw her from the roof when he discovered her conspiracy to usurp his power.
Maham Anga also patronized the construction of Khair-ul-Manzal, a mosque located opposite the Old Fort in Delhi, and which later served as a madrasa.
She also is a prominent character in the 2008 Bollywood film "Jodhaa Akbar" and was portrayed by Ila Arun.
Some More Infos From Other Sources
History tells that Adham Khan was once a general in the army of Mughal Emperor Akbar. He was also the younger son of the Emperor's foster mother and a wet nurse named Maham Anga whose character was depicted in the famous and partially fictional bollywood blockbuster 'Jodhaa Akbar'. The Emperor always considered him as his real brother rather than a foster brother and later got him married to Baqi Khan Baqlani's daughter. Adham Khan was also known for driving the beautiful Rani Roopmati (A Hindu Singer) to commit suicide.
During the month of November in the year 1561, Akbar's most favoured General named Shams-ud-Din Muhammad Ataga Khan replaced Munim Khan as the Prime Minister or 'Wakil' in the Imperial Courts of the Mughal Empire which angered Maham Anga. Adham Khan could not see his mother displeased and unhappy and on 16th May 1562, he along with a few of his goons marched into the Hall of Audience where Ataga Khan was addressing a crowd and murdered him. During this tumult, Akbar was awoken from his sleep and the Emperor rushed to seek an explanation from Adham Khan for this behaviour. Akbar threw him down with a strong blow of his fist as he was in absolute rage accompanied by no explanation from Adham Khan. The Emperor ordered his royal guards to throw Adham Khan down from a 40 feet high barricade of the Agra Fort. On seeing that he was still alive, Adham Khan was again lifted and thrown from the same barricade 40 feet down to ground level where he died instantly.
Emperor Akbar related the news of Adham Khan's death to Maham Anga himself who did not question about this incident and his actions but only replied to Akbar that he had done well. Maham Anga went into mourning, grief and deep mental depression and eventually passed away forty days after her son's sudden demise. Akbar sent the bodies of Maham Anga and Adham Khan to Delhi with complete honour, rituals and respect where the Emperor built a Tomb for Adham Khan and buried Maham Anga next to her son.
The Tombs of Adham Khan and Maham Anga lie within the enclosures of an octagonal shaped wall flanked by low towers at each corner. The Chamber is also Octagonal in shape covered with a dome shaped roof that depicts the typical Sur Dynasty, Lodi Dynasty and Sayyid Dynasty (which the Mughals termed as traitors) style of architecture. Since, both were considered as traitors, Akbar probably had their Tombs built in a style seen in most of the monuments built by these previous Dynasties during the early 14th Century AD. The Tomb lies on a raised platform and is enclosed by a veranda that has three semi circle openings on each side with the absence of eaves under their parapets. Many visitors often lose their way through its multiple passages or corridors and thick walls and hence the name 'Bhul-bhulaiyan' or 'Maze' originated owning to its structure.
A British Officer named Blake who was a part of the Bengal Civil Services converted the Tomb into his private residential bungalow sometime during the 1830s. He, in fact, removed the Graves in order to make way for the Dining Hall. After the demise of Blake, the Bungalow was still used as a British Rest house and later was rather misused as a Police Station and then a Post Office. Later, Lord Curzon had the Bungalow vacated and restored the Area and Grave of Adham Khan back into its original position which lies under the site just below the main Central Dome of the Octagonal Chamber. Though the Grave of Maham Anga could not be restored, today, the area next to the grave of Adham Khan is still marked as the final resting place of Maham Anga despite the absence of her stone grave.
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